Permutation-lock.



No. 636,882; Patented Nov. l4, I899.

T. J. ZOELLEB.

PERMUTATION LUCK.

(Application filed July 3, 1899.)

(No Model.)

191 ere i011- NITE STATES THEODORE J. ZOELI JER, OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR TO THE DAVIDSON LOOK COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

PERMUTATlON-LOGK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 636,882, dated November 14, 189.

Application filed July 3, 1899. Serial No. 722,698. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LTHEODORE J. ZOELLER, a citizen of the United States, residingat Nashville, in the county of Davidson, State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Permutation-Locks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to permutation-locks, and more especially to such as are adapted for use upon doors, trunks, desks, and household or office furniture; and the object of the same is to effect certain improvements in the mechanism and construction thereof whereby such locks may be made simple, safe, strong, and durable and be operated without a key in the light or dark and by means of a changeable combination of notched or toothed tu mblers fixed upon their respective axes.

To this end the invention consists of the principles and details of construction hereinafter fully described, and set forth in the claims following. o v

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, whereon like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views, Figure 1 is an interior plan view of a lock constructed upon the preferred lines of my invention, exposing to view a spring-pressed bolt, a reciprocating fence- 7 frame, a pair of tumbler-disks, a click-spring,

a knob-lever, and a regulating-lever. Fig. 2 is a face view of the lock, showing the dialplates and dial-knobs, the door-knob being removed. Fig. 3 is an edge view of the lock looking in the direction of its working or bolt edge. Figs. 4 and 5 are detail illustrations representing a side elevation and a top plan view, respectively, of one dial-knob and a coacting tumbler-disk. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a special key for converting the look into a simple latch or a dead-latch.

Reference being had to the drawings and letters thereon, A indicates the face-plate of a permutation-lock, being cast or otherwise formed with an angular bolt-flange a for closing its outer edge and by preference provided with a thin back plate or closure, (not sh own,) secured to plate A'by screws in the usual manner, these face and back plates constituting the lock-casing. Rising from the plate A are corner-posts b b for keeping said back plate at proper distance, and there are also perforated lugs B 0, serving to retain and guide the spring-pressed bolt D in its reciprocal movement. Adjacent to said lugs is a fixed block E, rabbeted at its ends, as at o c, affording a support for the sides of a reciprocating fence-frame F, the latter being movable in a direction at right angles to that of bolt D and being of substantially rectangular form. At one end said frameis equipped with downturned fences G G for coacting with suitable tumbler-disks, and from its opposite end projects a pilot-arm H, terminating in a finger d, in turn coacting with the knob of the look, while at intermediate points upon opposite sides, respectively, of this frame are a horizontal projection e and a downturned lug f, serving at times as stops for correlative parts, as will later appear.

Projecting through plate A in the usual manner is the arbor of a door-knob I, having keyed thereon a vibratory operating-lever J for impinging upon a block g, fixed upon the tail of bolt D to withdraw it against the counteraction of surrounding spring h, and having also an upturned end K for contacting, when the combination is thrown off, With the lug f on frame F aforesaid. In addition the lever J also has a projecting push-pin 1' resting back of the finger d on pilot-arm H for returning same and the frame F to their normal position as bolt D is thrown.

Secured to the block E is a bifurcated cleat L, the arms whereof overhang the sides of frame F, maintaining it at all times duly seated in the tracks or depressions c o, as shown in Fig. 1, while interposed between this cleat and the distal end of frame F is a tension-springj, subservient to the main boltspring h in pointof strength, but having for its purpose to advance said frame when the strength of spring 77. is first overcome by action of the door-knob.

Above frame F are rotatable tumbler-disks M M, each notched, as at it, throughout its periphery and each broken at one point in its circumference by a gate N to receive the fences G when the combination is properly set. Interposed between said tumbler-disks M M isa pair of click-springs Z l, each bearing upon the notched periphery of one disk M and each crimped at its free end m, the better to ride over notches 7.: regardless of which way the disks may be rotated. These disks are counterparts one of the other and are perforated by a radial series of key-seats n a, one of which always engages a pintle or key 0, formed upon each of the tumbler-disk arbors O O, projecting through plate A into the lock, thus providing numerous changes of combination by alteration of the relative positions of one or both keys 0 0 and their respective key-seats n. Extending through plate A to the face of the lock, said arbors O 0 have cast or otherwise formed thereon milled dial-knobs P P, each with a flanged base Q, provided at one point in its circumference with a raised index-mark p and rotating, when turned, within the confines of circular dial-plates R. These plates may be aifixed to or formed upon the surface of the lock and bear degree-marks corresponding with the circumferential notches 7c in tumblers M. They also include raised divisionmarks, as q q q q, located at fixed intervals and numbered-as, forinstance, 15, 30, 45, and to facilitate operating the lock in the dark by a sense of touch or in conjunction with the click of springs Z Z.

At one side of frame F there is a regulator S, pivoted in plate A, carrying upon the under side of its free end a spring-point which travels in the arc of a circle and is adapted to drop into either of the three depressions r, s, or t for the purpose of retaining said regulator in a predetermined position against accidental dislodgment. Projecting from the side and at right angles to the body of this regulator-block S adjacent to its pivotal point is a limit-lug T, by which the horizontal projection c of frame F is arrested when said regulator is set to the position indicated by reference-letter 2f.

Extending laterally from lug T across the pivotal center of regulator-block S is a flat blade U, serving as a seat for the bifurcated end of a key V, (illustrated by Fig. 6 of the drawings,) which may be introduced into the lock from the inside and straddles said blade U by the slot to in its lower end for the purpose of rotating the regulator one way or the other.

This being substantially the construction and arrangement of the invention, its operation, briefly stated, is as follows: Presumin g for purposes of illustration the combination to be thrown off, the gates N N in tumblerdisks M M are then understood to be removed one or more degrees out of alinement with fences G G upon frame F, as indicated by the tumbler at the right side of Fig. 2, and regulator-block S is thrown to its central or s position. The combination may now be worked by rotating dial-knobs P P until the gates N N are brought in alinement with fences G G.

If worked in the light,this operation is effected in the usual manner, but if in the dark it is possible for an operator knowing the given combination to locate by sense of touch the raised points 19 q upon flanges Q and scaleplates R, respectively, and from these as a starting-point to count the requisite number of clicks sounded by springs Z in permitting passage of notches until said gates have both reached their predetermined relative position. Rotation of the door-knob now throws operating-lever J, which impinges upon stop-block g, mounted upon the tail of bolt D, the latter being thereby withdrawn against the tension of bolt-spring h. During this operation obviously the angular push-pin t has been rotated with its lever J, the inclirect tension of spring 7t upon frame F by agency of linger d has been relieved, and the entire frame F is shot forward by action of its secondary springj, the fences G G entering gates N N in tumbler-disks M M. This advance movement of frame F correspondingly advances its downturned lugfto a point where it no longer obstructs passage of the upturned end K upon operating-lever J. Thereupon the latter, rotated by the agency of knob-spindle I, withdraws bolt D to the full extent of its stroke in the manner aforesaid and the unlocking operation is completed. On the other band, now, the combination being presupposed to be off, or, in other words, the gates N N in tumblers M M being one or both out of alinement with the fences G G, rotation of the knob-spindle I will again throw lever J, the extent of its movement in this case, however, being slight, as it is promptly arrested by engagement of its upturned end K with lugf upon the frame F, the fences G G upon same frame in the meantime having been stopped by the notched periphery of tumblers M M. As a consequence bolt D cannot now be withdrawn. If, however, regulator-block S be set to the t depression, its limit-lug T then engages the horizontal projection e of frame F, retaining the entire frame in a retracted position, so that in this case the end K of lever J, when rotated as before, will clear lug f upon its far side, thus permitting the bolt D to be fully withdrawn irrespective of the combination and converting the look into an ordinary knob-actuated spring-latch. Again, if regulator-block S be rotated to the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1 by means of the key V or otherwise the lock will become a dead-latch, said regulator simply abutting against the shouldered head of the bolt D and positively preventing its withdrawal under any circumstances so long as the regulator occupies this position.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a permutation lock the combination with a suitable casing containing rotatable gated tumblers, of a spring-pressed bolt, an

ceases 2' operating-lever for withdrawing said bolt, a reciprocating locking frame provided with fences for coacti-ng with the tumblers aforesaid, and a lug upon said frame adapted to arrest and prevent further rotation of said operating-lever when the combination is 0E, substantially as .described.

2. In a permutation-lock the combination with a suitable casing containing rotatable gated tumblers, of a spring-pressed bolt, a vibratory operating-lever for withdrawing said bolt, a reciprocating locking-frame provided with fences for coacting with the tumblers aforesaid, a secondary spring for advancing the locking-frame, and a push-pin upon said operating lever for engaging the lockingframe to return it, substantially as described.

3. In a permutation-lock the combination with a casing containing rotatable gated tumblers, of a spring-pressed bolt, a vibratory operating-lever for withdrawing said bolt, a reciprocating locking-frame provided with fences for coacting with the tumblers aforesaid, a secondary spring for advancing the locking-frame, a pilot-arm also upon said frame terminating in a lateral finger, and a push-pin upon the operating-lever for engaging said finger to return the locking-frame, substantially as described.

4. In a permutation-lock the combination with a casing, of rotatable dial-knobs, dials, and gated tumbler-disks, of click-springs bearing upon said tumbler-disks, a springpressed bolt, an operating-lever for withdrawing said bolt, a reciprocating locking-frame provided with fences for coacting with the tumbler-disks aforesaid, and a lug upon said frame for preventing rotation of said operating-lever when the combination is off, substantially as described.

5. In a permutation-lock the combination with a casing, of rotatable dial-knobs and correlative dials each having one or more raised degree-marks, tumbler-disks notched circumferentially and gated radially keyed to and moving with said knobs, click-springs bearing upon the peripheries of the tumblerdisks, a spring-pressed bolt, an operatinglever for withdrawing said bolt, a lockingframe having fences for coacting with said tumbler-disks, a secondary spring for advancing said locking-frame, and a push-pin upon the operating-lever for engaging the frame to return it, substantially as described.

6. In a permutation-lock the combination with suitable dial-knobs, dials, tumbler-disks and a reciprocating locking-frame, of a springpressed bolt, an operating-lever for withdrawing said bolt and a pivoted regulator-block adapted to obstruct the reciprocal movement of said frame and said bolt successively, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 27th day of June, 1899.

, THEODORE J. ZOELLER.

Witnesses:

JNo. A. PITTS, M. A. SPURR. 

